To be honest, I was a little flustered.
I did not expect to be commended for helping him or anybody else.
When I was young, I was taught to be selfless; sacrificing oneself for another may sound ridiculous to many other people, but that selflessness saved me one too many times as a young child in an unhappy household.
I found myself feeling a bit unsure about how to respond to such genuine appreciation. It was a mix of gratitude and uncertainty about the best way to respond to it.
I realised that sometimes the best response is to not speak at all and continue to let the person express what they want to say and finish speaking.
I also wondered when he learned to speak so eloquently, or if he just always could.
"So many teachers gave up on me, even my own mother," he said, stopping momentarily in his tracks. "It made me doubt myself and want to... Give up. But you didn't doubt it give up on me." Jun fixed his gaze on me, a serious expression settling on his face.
